Zarif said despite "extensive economic relations" between the two countries, the Gulf federation has had made "strategic and political mistakes, particularly over Yemen."

The UAE backs the internationally recognized Yemeni government in the country's ongoing civil war, while Iran supports its Houthi rebels.

Iranian media reports say many UAE-based Iranian businesses have moved to Qatar and Oman in recent years. The UAE was the top exporter to Iran for decades. In 2018, it became the second biggest exporter to Iran, after China.